DARKMATTERS - The Mind Of Matt

Mission Impossible: Ending a Movie Franchise that Has Run Its Course

2012-01-24T22:02:00.000Z

"Bit old for a Hoodie?"

Mission Impossible: Ending a Movie Franchise that Has Run Its Course

Why is it that movies that lead to sequels sometimes never end, even though the artistic and dramatic arc of the storylines are already long since concluded? Don't filmmakers have the artistic integrity to let a story concept go after they have finished two or three, or certainly four treatments of the subject? Apparently not, because the cinema times are such that fear of stepping out trying original concept is so high, that the franchise list keeps going on and on and on, and on...

"Rubbish"

So we get the absurdities of Rocky V, and the recent Rocky Balboa movie, where a totally ancient Sylvester Stallone is expected to be fit enough to take up a street fight with a young fighter in his prime, or is able to fight another in their prime fighter as a nearly 60-year-old man. Didn't they kill off Jigsaw in Saw III? You'd never know it from the four grizzly sequels following his demise. Indeed, the entire James Bond franchise makes no sense, in terms of continuity. Any new agent serving around 1960, even in your 30s at that time, would be in his 80s by 2012.

"Classic"

Speaking of agents, as well produced as the current Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol is, doggone it, Tom Cruise is long in the tooth to be playing the part of the lead agent. He of course is a big star, that will attract people to a theater based on his being mentioned in Oxford cinema listings, but at a certain point and actor is no longer viable or credible in the role. Racquel Welch was perfect as a sex symbol in the 60s, but could she be a Sports Illustrated cover model at this point? I'm afraid to say it, Pam Anderson, but your time at the sexpot is up too, even as a cameo star in gross comedies.

"Pam - how we remember her..."

Don't even get me started about the Final Destination series, which has turned and ugly but once clever concept into a derivative bloodbath. It's The major studios need to know how to give it a rest, and step out encourage to start undoing will be series based on original concepts, not a rehashed formula or reworking of formula. This stance not only for sequels, but for re-visualizations or "re-imagination" of previous series franchises. No, it is not worth rebooting Charlie's Angels, just because you can make Bosley a black man, or one of the girls Asian. Nor should you relaunch the A-team, just because you can get Baracus to curse a lot.

Hollywood, give us something new!

Darkmatters Review Underworld: Awakening

2012-01-24T17:10:00.000Z

Underworld: Awakening (18)

Dir. Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“ I am a Death Dealer, sworn to destroy those known as the Lycans. Our war has waged for centuries, unseen by human eyes. But all that is about to change... again.”

Underworld: Awakening is the fourth film in the Underworld franchise – the fun, schlocky action packed series where we humans are caught in the crossfire of an ancient battle between vampires and were-wolves (Lycans). This time however, the human contingent are taking the fight back to the fantasy beasties with the aim of wiping them out – except all might not be what it seems and it will fall to one vampire ‘Death Dealer’ to fight her way to the truth.

"bang!"

The Death Dealer in question is the gorgeous Selene (Kate Beckinsale) who after 12 years imprisoned in frozen containment by the humans, bursts back into the war clad in her iconic shiny lycra catsuit, packing her trademark two handguns. Beckinsale looks absolutely amazing - squeezing convincingly back into her skin-tight outfit as if she hadn’t ever skipped the last film Underworld: Rise of the Lycans to take time out to have children.

Underworld: Awakening is a pitch perfect blast of over-the-top action, which sets the bar for impressive the action scenes in 2012. Watching Selene stylishly shoot, stab, punch, kick and snap the necks of all who oppose her is a fantasy action fans dream and man, she looks great kicking ass, oozing danger and sexual overload in a eye-watering combination.

"Selene looking to have quiet word with the Lycans"

Directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein do a great job of rocking the implausible plot which sees Selene finding that whilst she’s been frozen, a new hybrid vampire/lycan child named Eve has been genetically created from her and her lover’s DNA. Eve (India Eisley) sees Selene as her ‘mother’ and the two can see things through each other’s eyes. But you don’t really need to worry too much about the plot – it all basically serves to connect a series of intense action set pieces. Many critics have dismissed Awakening but judging from the enthusiastic audience reaction in the screening I caught this in (and the fact that it has made over $25million in it’s opening weekend) there seems to be a real ‘thirst’ for this gothic adventure shot through with Matrix-alike stylistic trappings.

If you’re looking for a fangtastic Friday night action blast – Underworld: Awakening is an adrenalin shot of awesome that will hit the spot.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

4 – Death dealing is back and looking better than ever

Awesomeness öööö – jaw dropping action, eye popping costumes

Laughs öö – occasional hammy lines raise smiles

Horror öööö – earns the 18 certificate with some brutal kills

Babes öööö – Selene is super watchable in rubber / leather outfit

Spiritual Enlightenment öö – won't tear your soul apart

For the trailer and more images click here

"India Eisley - co-star"

Darkmatters Review: Shark Night 3D

2012-01-22T20:08:00.000Z

Shark Night 3D (15)

Dir. David R. Ellis

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Just when you thought is was safe to go back in the cool clear blu(ray) water… along comes a trashy Jaws rip-off which apes the success of the fun horror chomp-em-up Piranha 3D…

"ready for my close up!"

So first things first – Shark Night 3D might have sharks and be in 3D - as long as you’ve got a 3D TV, but most of it isn’t at night. But then I guess Shark mild afternoon doesn’t really have the same ring to it.

Directed David Ellis who has form for nastily offing teens from both Final Destination 2 and The Final Destination gives it a fair go bringing in not just big toothy sharks but also monsters of the human kind who are in league with them!?

"it's behind you!?"

The shark bait is an obligatory selection of hot looking college kids led by the foxy blonde bikini wearer Sara Palski (Sara Paxton) and her entourage including horny dudes, like repressed Nick (Dustin Milligan) and eye candy girls like Beth (Katherine McPhee). You can play horror bingo all the way through – stupid decisions, gratuitous posing and general dimness ‘I’ll take this mortally wounded pal across shark-infested waters on a waterski – what could possibly go wrong?’

The Louisiana setting works well and gives the film a slightly gothic edge – one that is helped no end by the film's human villains, a gruesome twosome of dodgy but cute Dennis (Chris Carmack) and his oddball hillbilly pal Carl (Jimmy Lee Jr.), who packs a set of sharpened teeth which could rival the sharks!?

"the girls - only picked for their brains"

The CGI shark are actually pretty cool, backed up with some nice robot efforts too but they are criminally under used. They do get some fun moments such as jumping out of the water to munch on passing teens and smashing through protective cages etc. but there was scope for more fish action...

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö

3 (pure trash schlock of the fun kind)

"miss Paxton minus the sharks"

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING DAY

2012-01-20T09:35:00.001Z

Underworld: Awakening hits the UK

Matt Adcock

Yep it's the potential movie event of 2012!?

"remember Selene from Underworld?"

Underworld: Awakening brings a stunning new dimension to the epic battle between Vampires and Lycans, as the first film in the franchise to shoot in 3D. Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrior-ess Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

"still shooting by the looks of things"

Can it really be 9 years since the first film? And more importantly - can the 4th entry in the series be any good?

Here's a snippet of an early review:

"As a fan of the franchise, Underworld: Awakening feels like the movie I've been waiting for ever since the first one was released in 2003. Beckinsale has never been better, the story and action finally blends together a bit more smoothly, and incorporating humans into the Vampire/Lycan war breathes a new life into the series." thehorrorchick (read the full review here: Dread Central).

"say goodbye"

Full Darkmatters review this weekend...

Link to: Kate Beckinsale in a 'who has the best cinematic catsuit' stand off!?

Link to Darkmatters review of UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION

Adele - bigger than Call of Duty (in 2011)

2012-01-19T13:41:00.001Z

"headshot"

Darkmatters marvels at just how large Adele is...

With 2 entries in the annual 'best selling' list and the overall number 1 position - Adele can be crowned as 'queen of sales 2011'... Nothing could compete with her, even the mighty Modern Warfare 3 met its match!?

Here's the official entertainment chart for 2011

2011 ENTERTAINMENT - TOP 10

1 - 21 - Adele - 3,924,985 - Album
2 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - 2,814,609 - Game
3 - Harry Potter &The Deathly Hallows – Part 1 - 2,532,551 - Video
4 - FIFA 12 - 2,193,302 - Game
5 - Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 - 2,147,606 - Video
6 - The Inbetweeners Movie - 2,074,652 - Video
7 - The King’s Speech - 1,882,175 - Video
8 - Christmas - Michael Buble - 1,349,195 - Album
9 - Doo-Wops & Hooligans - Bruno Mars - 1,264,763 - Album
10 - 19 - Adele - 1,264,273 - Album

Full top 40 chart can be found HERE

"next year look out for the Adele being a playable character in COD Black Ops 2"

Darkmatters Review: War Horse

2012-01-16T16:37:00.000Z

War Horse (12a)

Dir. Steven Spielberg

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Hello horse fans, you join us for the first marathon World War One big screen steeplechase - the going is good to firm but bogged down with far too many soggy areas…

Soft-hearted billionaire director Spielberg turns this children’s novel / hit play into a long-winded film and leisurely crafts a lavish but oddly pedestrian ode to possibly the bravest equine beastie ever.

Spielberg's film are mostly viewed as cinematic phenomena but War Horse is a bit of a hard sell after it has been worked up with plenty of sentimentality by the likes of Richard ‘Four Weddings’ Curtis. Yes the cinematography is gorgeous and there are a couple of exciting scenes including a stunning Calvary charge thanks to the WWI setting but my son (who’d read the book and was keen to see the film) actually fell asleep about half way through!?

"let slip the erm, horses of war?"

So why is War Horse slightly lame rather than the epic thoroughbred it could (should?) have been? It’s certainly not the fault of the lead horse ‘Joey’ – you’d be hard pressed to find a nobler looking or engaging horse – if they gave Oscars to animals he’s be a dead cert to bag it... Nor really can the blame for the dramatic flatness be totally shouldered by the competent cast. What is missing here is the ability of the film to actually connect and make you care more than mildly about anything you’re witnessing.

Joey’s odyssey from humble farm beginnings through to messianic wartime icon certainly had the potential to send shivers down the viewers spines and grab their imaginations, so it’s hard to explain quite why the overall reaction isn’t better. I found the best scene to be the no-man's-land sequence where a British and a German soldier work together to free Joey from his barbed wire / near death predicament. It really stands out because it feels less ‘forced’ than the most of the other scenes. Eventually the clunky plot limps along to the very Hollywood conclusion, which leaves those audience members who are still awake with a lump in their throats and probably a newfound desire to buy a pony.

This War Horse should have been a cinematic thoroughbred but it falls short in a blub of sentimentality. Overall it’s decent enough but not a classic, maybe Spielberg’s forthcoming Robopocalypse will deliver more?

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö

3 (lovely looking horsey droppings)

Awesomeness ööö – Cavalry charge is the definition of awesome
Laughs öö – Not very funny
Horror öö – Moments of grimness but mostly bland
Babes ö – Horsey women aren't my cup of tea
Spiritual Enlightenment öö - A boy, a horse, an implausible plotline... Ahhh...

"nowhere is safe from foot sniffing horses"

Darkmatters Review: Colombiana

2012-01-16T16:17:00.004Z

Colombiana (15)

Dir. Olivier Megaton

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

There’s something undeniably cool about having a smokin hot female assassin be an unstoppable killing machine – and Zoe Saldana delivers a great performance in the lead role of Cataleya, a female with a killer body and vengeance on her mind. We meet Cataleya back when she’s just nine, bad men come to her house and kill her parents – she flees and manages to get to the U.S. Embassy where she is given a passport in exchange for a memory card that which holds the data which the baddies want.

The action then jumps from Colombia to Chicago when Cataleya has grown up and honed her skills to become a walking death dealer. approaches Her ‘hits’ are very nicely staged – from getting herself locked up in the same cellblock as a target through to literally sending a baddie to ‘sleep with the fishes’ – this girl rocks some slick assassin moves and leaves a lipstick drawn picture of an Amazonian orchid (also called Cataleya) on the target’s chests.

"how to make an entrance!?"

Of course it isn’t long before her under cover operations draw unwanted attention and she has to move to the end game of finally getting revenge for her parents deaths. Cue corrupt CIA and dogged policeman tracking her down for different reasons plus mob cartel heavies coming and wiping out even her extended family – just we’re fully on her side when she dispatches them in the climactic assault on the big bosses lair.

Oliver Megaton (love his surname) brings the requisite frantic pace and jump cut style of filming, taking every chance to show off Saldana’s perfect butt in HD. This is a trashy, flashy movie that won’t change your world but will entertain greatly.

Colombiana delivers a good time of high-octane thrills and spills. It’s not quite up there with Leon in terms of Besson’s efforts but is a lot of violent escapist fun.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö1/2

3.5 - sexy and deadly (great combination)

"Zoe Saldana... window dressing!?"

Darkmatters Review: The Iron Lady

2012-01-08T23:01:00.003Z

The Iron Lady (12)

Dir. Phyllida Lloyd

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

This isn’t actually an ambitious sequel to animated sci-fi flick The Iron Giant, no this is an equally far fetched tale of how a female life form somehow assimilated the position of utmost political power in the UK.

Yes, whatever your political alliance, the name ‘Margaret Thatcher’ will undoubtedly resonate deep feelings within anyone who lived through her reign of terror from 4 May 1979 – 28 November 1990. Played incredibly here by Meryl Streep – who must surely by up for serious award nominations for this role – the film depicts the titular ‘Iron Lady’ in her confused and unstable elderly years. As she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her husband Denis (Jim Broadbent), with whom she still talks and interacts even though he’s no more than a figment of her imagination. This gives the filmmakers the plot device to run through a highlight reel of Thatcher’s ‘greatest hits’ – jumping between the high profile elements of her time in power including the miners strike, the Falklands war and the poll tax riots.

The most interesting areas are the quick dip into the early years of how young Margaret managed to blast her way through the many barriers of gender and class to make her way into the male-dominated world. The film is also touching in the love story of her and Denis and the price she had to pay for her single minded pursuit of power.

"We are the champions..."

Unfortunately, the overall film is lumpy, schmaltzy and liable to test your viewing endurance even with Streep’s powerhouse performance. Yes Thatcher is and was an extraordinary and complex woman but The Iron Lady leads viewers very firmly (and mostly overly sympathetically) through her career.

Supporting cast such as Olivia Colman, who plays Maggie’s daughter Carol do well with their limited screen time and the special effects that bring about the aging process as scarily effective (possibly overly so as there are not many people who want to spend cash to stare at strange wrinkled synthetic elderly make up effects for almost two hours).

The Iron Lady really might be Streep’s finest-ever performance, but it unfortunately just isn’t enough to make up for the pedestrian filmmaking and propaganda-ish spoon-feeding of very selected highlights.

Tory boys and their ladies may lap up the blue rinse flashbacks with a “rah rah” and a wave of their ‘I heart Maggie’ flags. Fans of quality films however are likely to be unconvinced and unimpressed by this docile effort – Streep’s performance deserves to be in a much better film!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öö1/2

2.5 – weak overall but merit for Streep's Iron grip!

Awesomeness öö – nothing a but a good time for the Tory Right

Laughs öö – not meant to be funny but sometimes it is

Horror öö – if wrinkles freak you out then be afraid

Babes ö – not happening

Spiritual Enlightenment öö – blues for the soul

Trailer:

Second Opinion:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/jan/08/the-iron-lady-review

PS VITA - Sumioni: Demon Arts

2012-01-06T13:17:00.000Z

Kick Some Demon Butt / Stop To Admire The Beautiful Artwork

Matt Adcock

"unleash the ink god!"

It's not every day that you come across a side-scrolling action videogame that looks like an interactive work of art...

But thanks to Sumioni: Demon Arts on the PS VITA, developed by Acquire in Japan and XSeed Games outside - this piece of digital 'art' looks ass kicking fun... where ink is your weapon!?

I love the touch screen battle commands - displayed in the videos below, this will be one I'll be picking up as soon as it launches!!

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

2012-01-03T17:37:00.002Z

"No boobies were harmed in the making of this poster"

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (18)

Dir. David Fincher

Reviewed for Darkmatters by Matt Adcock

“Rape, torture, fire, animals, religion. Am I missing anything?” Mikael Blomkvist

Welcome to the dark, lurid world of Stieg Larson’s multi-million selling novel – wonderfully reworked here in English by master director David ‘Social Network’ Fincher. Sure it’s only been a few years since the original Swedish language film brought the iconic titular ‘Girl’ to the big screen but this new riff on the material is something rather awesome, something that reaches into your soul and squeezes it so tightly that time flies past in a whirl of deception and intrigue.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo packs in the nastiness - serial killing, Nazis, incest, rape and violent retribution, yes it’s trashy and base but Fincher manages to elevate the overall experience to one that leaves you breathless and highly engaged. The second the cool opening credits roll – to the disturbing strains of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's soundtrack – through to the semi cliff-hanging finish (there are two more books / films in this series), this is a cinematic experience unlike any other.

Daniel Craig is excellent in the central role of disgraced hotshot journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who gets more than he bargained for when hired to investigate the unsolved disappearance of a girl from her home on an odd little family owned Swedish island. Could the case be linked to the work of a serial ritualistic murderer whose sadistic killing spree has spanned generations?

"Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of a Nazi scum!?"

By far the star of the show though is Lisbeth Salander (an incredible performance by Rooney ‘The Social Network’ Mara), a socially challenged twenty-something super hacker and ward of the state. She who wears the dragon tattoo is the pivotal character who undergoes extreme sexual abuse, humiliation and degradation at the hands of her perverted legal guardian. Her subsequent revenge is eye-wateringly savage but completely understandable – and is designed to empower females everywhere.

The build up of the investigation is more clearly laid out in this version too although the list of suspects from the Vanger family on the island is short and it’s not a major surprise when source of the evil is found.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is meticulously shot film and creates a truly dynamic chilly atmosphere which veritably leaks from the screen into your subconscious.

Highly recommended for those who like their mysteries shot through with pitch-black undercurrents. Come on Sony, get parts 2 and 3 made soon!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö1/2

4.5 – breath in those smouldering lurid thrills

Awesomeness öööö – kicks in hard in places (that other films cannot reach)

Laughs öö – dark mirth in places

Horror öööö – oohh that's nasty in places

Babes ööö – stars the only Rooney I fancy (see below)

Spiritual Enlightenment öö – not so much unless you want to investigate the theology of revenge?

Trailer:

Second opinion: Tom Wade's Review on CultureSlap

"Rooney shoots and scores (looking more normal here)"

Darkmatters - Billion Dollar Films

2012-01-01T20:21:00.002Z

"$2.7 billion - that's a lot of love for the blue people..."

Top 10 Films Ever (box office)

Matt Adcock

2011 saw 3 new entries into the Top Ten Biggest Grossing Films of ALL TIME...

That means that now 10 movies have pulled in over a billion dollars at box office - here's the list:

1. Avatar (2009) $2,781,505,847
Darkmatters Review

2. Titanic (1997) $1,835,300,000
Review

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) $1,327,655,619
Darkmatters Review

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1,119,102,868
Review

5. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) $1,114,558,779
Darkmatters Review

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) $1,065,896,541
Darkmatters Review

7. Toy Story 3 (2010) $1,062,984,497
Darkmatters Review

8. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) $1,041,963,875
Darkmatters Review

9. Alice in Wonderland (2010) $1,023,285,206
Darkmatters Review

10. The Dark Knight (2008) $1,001,921,825
Darkmatters Review

Not exactly what we at Darkmatters would call the 'best films of all time' except maybe Dark Knight (and in Tom Wade's case Transformers 3)... but amazing that Titanic from 1997 hasn't been bettered by anything other than Avatar - will Hobbit, Avengers or Dark Knight Rises (new Catwoman below) crash this party?

Darkmatters Game Picks for 2012

2012-01-01T19:23:00.001Z

2012 - Looking Good for Games!!

Matt Adcock picks his top Games for 2012

Yes Grand Theft Auto V is the game that I'm (and most of the gaming world) most looking forward to this year... but I'm also very excited to play Bioshock Infinite, Mass Effect 3 and the obligatory upgrades of Fifa and Call of Duty (especially on PS Vita).

But here are some videos that might help you get in the mood for some gorgeous looking gaming experiences in 2012...

Uncharted: Golden Abyss

wipEout 2048

Dust 514

Escape Plan

StarHawk

Twisted Metal

The Last Guardian

The Last of Us

Darkmatters Films of the Year 2011

2011-12-29T18:02:00.001Z

2011 - The Darkmatters Films of the Year

by Matt Adcock

It's that time of year - to reflect on the movies that have been the highlights...

So without further ado - here are the ones that delivered over and above the rest - for sheer entertainment, thrills, spills and cinematic excellence!?

10. Attack The Block

Hard edged sci-fi action mixed with street level laughs delivers a quality British feel good time. Credible, scary and fun...

Review

9. NEDS

Meet young John McGill a really smart, lovely, ambitious kid. Journey with him as he falls into the underworld of becoming a NED (Non-Educated Deliquente) it's tragic and heartbreaking but also shot through with great humour and grim violence.

Review

8. Limitless

The average movie goer only uses 20% of their brain when experiencing a film.

‘Limitless’ however brings experimental drug NZT to the table - a drug that allows people to use the full 100 percent of their mind for films or absolutely anything. Recorded side effects however include scorching of the pleasure receptors as a result of witnessing such a delirious action thriller head-trip.

Review

7. HUGO

Chloë Grace Moretz dazzles in this homage to every early film and the whole art of film making. The year's best 3D too (well up there with Drive Angry?!).

Review

6. Warrior

Warrior is a crunching plot punch to the forehead, followed up with a emotional knee to the abs and finally a satisfying slam take-down. Tom Hardy FTW!

Review

5. Black Swan

A phantasmagorical case study of someone breaking down but it is utterly watchable thanks to having a director with such artistic verve, empowered by an incredible cast.

Review

4. Super 8

Think Goonies mixed with Close Encounters of the Third Kind and, throw in some great references to films from across the genres and you’ve got the winning recipe for a new breed of classic.

Review

3. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Evil will with evil be expelled. Fincher’s remake is a turbo charged black hearted beast powered by Mara’s transformative performance.

Review

2. The Tree of Life

“Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? ...while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (Job 38)

Challenge yourself - see The TREE of LIFE and reflect on life, the universe and everything!

Review

1. Drive

I'd like you to meet ‘Driver’ (Ryan ‘Half Nelson’ Gosling) a man with no name but an uncanny way with cars. Drive is a uber powerful, heartbreaking romance shot through with heavy-duty violence and awesome crime-drama-action.

Review

Also highy recommended and in need of mention for various merit:

Sucker Punch - visually exquisite babetastic kick ass action (Review)

Drive Angry - devilish overload of OTT sexually charged violence (Review)

True Grit - updated western classic that rocks on many levels (Review)

Never Let Me Go - heartbreaking cloning / life drama (Review)

The Fighter - crunching gurning masterclass of hope (Review)

Take Shelter - mind twisting gut punch of apocalyptic doom (Review)

(quad poster not available - Katrina Bowden who stars pictured instead)

Tucker and Dale vs Evil - wonderful woods based red neck horror comedy (Review)

The Kings Speech - lovely royal-em-up life affirming tale (Review)

Source Code - excellent time jumping thrill ride (Review)

Kill List - brutal heart of darkness writ large on the screen in style (Review)

Super - The 'wrongest' super hero film ever, but so right if you can dig it!? (Review)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Classy spy slow burn steeped in quality (Review)

Happy Christmas!!

2011-12-24T20:30:00.001Z

To all Darkmatters readers!!

'classic Christmas artwork from LST'

Underworld Awakening - the catsuit is back!?

2011-12-23T12:58:00.000Z

Underworld Awakening - still top cat(suit)?

by Matt Adcock

Now I'm an unashamed fan of the Underworld films (even if part 3 wasn't all that), the main reason is that Kate Beckinsale looked absolutely superb and created a cinematic icon as Selene the vampire death dealer.

So I'm delighted that she's back for the fourth Underworld film - here's the trailer:

But it raises the question - who's your favourite cinematic catsuit heroine?

Here are some contenders...

'Trinity' from The Matrix

'Black Widow' from Iron Man / The Avengers

New 'Catwoman' from Dark Knight Rises

'Catwoman' from Batman Returns

'Selene' from Underworld

'Baroness' from G.I. Joe 2

'Quorra' from Tron Legacy

'Marissa' from Spy Kids 4

'Blondie' from Sucker Punch

'Kitty Pryde' from X-Men: The Last Stand

I'm sure there are more - feel free to nominate others!?

Prometheus vs The Hobbit trailer fight!

2011-12-23T12:02:00.000Z

Matt Adcock gets excited about two of 2012's big hitters

Prometheus (the Alien semi-prequel) looks great...

But can anything stand in the fantasy juggernaut path of The Hobbit?

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

2011-12-19T22:14:00.002Z

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (12a)

Dir. Guy Ritchie

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“I don't blame you, I blame myself.

It's been apparent to me for sometime that you would succumb to your feelings for him.

It isn't the first occasion that Mr. Holmes inconvenienced me in recent months. The question is: What to do about it?”

For this follow up to the surprisingly enjoyable Guy Ritchie revamp of the classic famous sleuth – we rewind to 1891 where things are about as happy and harmonious in Europe as they are now!? i.e. the Germans, French and English are really not getting on.

After a political bombing, several unexplained murders and a shady character buying up producers of munitions, hospital supplies – could war be on the cards?

Step forward Sherlock Holmes (Robert ‘Iron Man’ Downey Jr) who traces the evil mind behind this scheming and murdering to his fabled adversary Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris).

Can Holmes, aided by his trusty assistant Doctor Watson (Jude Law), who’s supposed to be on his honeymoon, really avert a financially motivated world war? And how is the beautiful gypsy fortune-teller Madam Simza (Noomi Rapace) connected?

"we could do a western dressed like this"

Against the odds, this sequel actually surpasses the first film – upping the scale of the action, improving the awesomeness of the plot, and boosting the fun factor by having a superb cameo from Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes – Sherlock’s camp older brother.

It all works wonderfully and puts Sherlock Holmes firmly on the map as a major action thriller franchise to be watched. There are some stand out scenes that rival anything seen on screen this year. Pick of the bunch is a breathless, nerve-wracking chase through a forest which employs some Matrix like camerawork to really jaw dropping effect.

A Game of Shadows is super slick and romps along at a great pace. It might be over 2 hours long but it flies past in a blur of fights, plots, intrigue and a liberal sprinkling of funnies.

Harris is excellent as the seemingly unstoppable Moriarty, a baddie who is a very worthy opponent for the brilliant Holmes. Guy Ritchie shows that he can deliver crowd pleasing spectacle, and is just at home showing the two opponents locked in a tense game of chess as in the more usual ‘Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels’ form of mortal combat.

If looking for some great cinematic viewing to end the year with choosing ‘Holmes’ is an elementary choice!!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

4 – Quality my dear Watson!

Awesomeness öööö – you’ll jump in places, scream in others
Laughs ööö – very funny, improved on the original
Horror öö – slightly scary
Babes ööö – Rapace is kinda hot
Spiritual Enlightenment öö – genius level intuition is a gift from God

The Dark Knight Rises - TRAILER!!

2011-12-19T21:17:00.000Z

The Dark Knight Rises...

In fine style!!

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas

2011-12-11T19:59:00.001Z

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (18)

Dir. Todd Strauss-Schulson

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

It’s Christmas time – there’s no need to be afraid.

At Christmas time, we let in light and banish shade…

Oh sorry, got a bit carried away there – but after seeing A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, it’s hard to not feel full of the joy of the Season. This madcap, drug fuelled sequel to the politically incorrect Harold & Kumar Escape form Guantanamo Bay ups the craziness, and brings sleigh loads of funnies.

The two ‘heroes’ get reunited by a mysterious present after a couple of years apart. Harold (John Cho) has moved on and grown up – working on Wall Street, his legendary weed smoking days behind him. Kumar (Kal Penn) however is still smoking and slacking his life away big time. A massive night of misadventure awaits as the twosome get embroiled in seriously messed up situation involving a burnt Christmas tree, Ukrainian mobsters, sex, drugs and shotguns…

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas really earns its 18 rating too – the plots goes off the deep end of ‘wrong’ when it tops the continual bawdy knob and sex references with a baby who inadvertently snorts cocaine, smokes weed and takes ecstasy. This isn’t a film for those of an easily offended nature!?

However dodgy the plot line it’s hard not to be swept up in the Christmassy fun, especially when Neal Patrick Harris makes the mother of all cameos with an absolutely insane Christmas show that serves as a way of shoehorning some up tempo Christmas carols into the mix. The whole 3D thing is a worked well too, I’m not really a fan of 3D movies but this one plays it for laughs and with everything from bodily fluids through to shotguns being shamelessly pointed right out of the screen.

Director Todd Strauss-Schulson holds nothing back, one minute we’re in a crazed frat party, the next sees the guys trying to infiltrate a Catholic church – each scenario treated with lashings of T & A.

If you’re in any way inebriated when you see this you well might freak out at the surreal Claymation sequence, which brings untold humorous gory death and destruction to the tale. Yes it’s entirely puerile but it’s also possibly rival Bridesmaids for the title of funniest film of 2011.

So if you need a family friendly Christmas movie – Arthur Christmas is you man, but for sheer tongue-in-cheek idiocy seeing A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas will certainly fill you with Christmas cheer, dude.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

4 – 'High' times for Christmas

Awesomeness öööö – Santa gets shot in the head!?
Laughs ööööö – very funny, wrong yes, but funny!
Horror ööö – willy stuck on a frosty pole anyone?
Babes ööö – Jordan Hinson is very hot (see below)
Spiritual Enlightenment öö – Jesus makes an appearance but it doesn't go well...

Darkmatters Films to look out for in 2012

2011-12-06T19:13:00.001Z

Darkmatters Top Film Picks 2012

By Matt Adcock

"I am the LAW"

DREDD (Darkmatters' hot tip)

Judge, jury and executioner, the infamous 200AD super cop / one man law, teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO... This has lots of potential to rock!

"They're Creepy And They're Kooky, Mysterious And Spooky

Dark Shadows (Darkmatters’ most freaky)

Tim Burton rocks some younger viewer friendly horror with everyone’s favourite Hit Girl Chloë Grace Moretz.

"All vampires should wear leather and carry guns!"

Underworld: Awakening (Darkmatters’ most guilty pleasure)

Kate ‘vampire warrioress’ Beckinsale sqeezes back into her leather catsuit as Selene in order to lead the battle against humankind.

"We gotta kill em all OK?"

The Hunger Games (Darkmatters’ most like Battle Royale)

In the future a boy and girl from twelve districts have to fight to the death on live television… Could be a good riot deterrent!?

Prometheus (Darkmatters’ most promising sci-fi)

Ridley Scott brings us an Alien prequel starring Idris Elba and Noomi Rapace – also looking at the origin of humankind… Please don't cock this one up!

"Scarlett johansson brings the sizzle"

The Avengers (Darkmatters’ film of the year?)

Finally the S.H.I.E.L.D. agency brings together a team of superhumans to help save the Earth from annihilation by extraterrestrial invaders. Altogether now ‘if we can’t defend earth, we will AVENGE it!’

"New Catwoman, on what looks like a batbike"

The Dark Knight Rises (Darkmatters other film of the year!?)

Tom Hardy brings the Bane… Gotham City falls and Batman is pushed to breaking point and beyond. Do the words ‘can’t wait’ mean anything to you?

"The tube rush hour crowds really annoyed Peter Parker"

The Amazing Spiderman (Darkmatters’ spider sense tingling)

Andrew ‘Social Network’ Garfield takes the spandex clad lead, the Lizard is set to be the main baddie. We are excited!

"Wild card thrills ahoy"

Django Unchained (Darkmatters’ violent thrills choice)

Tarantino is back with a tale of mentor / slave-turned-bounty hunter who set out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.

"The not so happy couple"

The Great Gatsby (Darkmatters’ literary classic)

Another lavish looking adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Long Island-set novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbour.

"The dwarves are out..."

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Darkmatters’ Fantasy-em-up)

Off we go then back to Middle Earth where young Hobbit Bilbo, journeys to the Lonely Mountain accompanied by a group of dwarves to reclaim a treasure taken from them by the dragon Smaug.

"The gorgeous people"

Syrup (Darkmatters’ random Amber Heard starring choice)

Sees a slacker hatches a million-dollar idea. But, in order to see it through, he has to learn to trust his attractive corporate counterpart. Based on Max Barry's novel.

Looks like another great year for films potentially - what are you looking forward to?

Darkmatters Review: The Thing

2011-12-05T16:48:00.001Z

The Thing (15)

Dir. Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

It’s not human. Yet… Actually, it’s not even close!?

If you remember the horror classic1982 John Carpenter version of The Thing with any fondness then you might want to look away now. This new version which is actually a prequel tramples all over the existing good work and replaces the gut wrenching disturbing master class in tension with cheap shock jumps and generic running around being chased by angry alien mutant ‘thing’.

Much like the better ’82 Thing, the story is of an ill-fated team of scientists at an Antarctic exploration site who find a crashed spacecraft and unwisely take one of the presumed dead alien life forms back to their base.

Turns out the alien isn’t dead and can take the form of other beings – cue lots of messy deaths and supposed tension as to ‘who is still human and who has been replaced’…

Here’s a quick test you can do to see if you’ve been taken over by The Thing. Ask yourself, is your name Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) – if so you’re fine, if not then erm, chances are you’re nasty toothy space beastie just pretending to be human.

I loved the Carpenter version of The Thing but was left really cold by this addition to the franchise. The biting psychological tension of the ’82 film is watered down in favour of stupid B movie gross out ‘shocks’ and monstrous but ultimately ‘meh’ special effects.

"don't run with flame throwers..."

Winstead looks good and does OK in the lead role of the flame thrower happy heroine who comes across as a Ripley-lite. She’s not the sort of girl you want to be friends with though as she dispassionately fries anyone she thinks might be infected without ever looking too bothered by it.

What also hinders the audience buying in to the admitted potentially terrifying situation of being trapped in a remote desolate Antarctic location with a killer alien is the fact that nearly all the rest of the cast are interchangeable bearded Norwegians. So when Olaf, Lars or Henrick gets eaten and mutated it all gets incredibly ‘ho hum’. The director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. tries to tie the events into the other film but it feels very clunky and nothing here is very reverential to the superior existing material.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öö

2 – This is one Thing you don’t need in your life!?

Awesomeness öö – nothing very awesome here, move along
Laughs ö – not funny, unless you laugh at beards
Horror ööö – reasonably gross in parts but fake effects don't help
Babes ööö – I love Windstead but not in a massive parket coat
Spiritual Enlightenment öö – burn em all and let God sort em out?

"Scott Pilgrim 2 - where are you?"

PlayStation VITA Hands on Preview

2011-11-28T21:41:00.001Z

PlayStation Vita

Hands on preview by Matt Adcock

Ever wondered how cool it would be if you could continue that game you were playing on your home console – on the go? Take it to work with you or in the car (as a passenger obviously), finish that game of FIFA on the toilet or snuggled up in bed?

Or how about playing against a mate or family member who is hogging the TV / console combo from wherever you are?

What about a hand held console that packed twin joysticks to allow for that sweet ‘proper’ Call of Duty control system?

Maybe some touchscreen goodness through in along with a touch control backplate and gyroscopic tilt function – with front and back cameras and a huge HD screen?

Well Sony have heard you and are going to change everything you know about gaming when their PSVITA hits the UK in February.

I spent an afternoon with the new Sony handheld putting various games and functions through their paces – here’s what I thought:

The first time you pick up a PlayStation Vita, you realise that you are holding a slab of refined gaming goodness – everything from the well placed controls, the nice balanced weight and the impressively large screen reeks of refinement. The VITA is what the PSP wants to be when it grows up and it feels much more akin to a beautiful piece of future tech than a boxing dual screen game machine *cough 3DS*…

Unusually for a launch line up Sony seemed to have gone all out to bring some ‘must have’ games to pick up on 22 February 2012 – gonna need to get saving as there really are lots that are worth your hard earned cash…

I kicked off my time with a VITA by playing LittleBigPlanet Vita, which impressed straight away by delivering graphics and controls virtually on a par with the PS3 and way way in advance of the PSP version. LBPV also embraces the multitude of control inputs available – need a bridge to cross a large gap? Pressing the back panel to slide out a path is the answer, tilt the VITA to make a rope swing the right way, use the touchscreen to play an on screen piano keyboard… within minutes you’re finding new and highly imaginative ways of playing… all of which will be available to those who want to create and share their own levels.. Sony are working to make LBPV cross play with the PS3 version too (which is a day one option on Wipeout 2048 and MotorStorm RC – more on those in a minute).

Next up is FIFA and I take Spurs on a rampaging destruction of the old enemy Ars*nal – the graphics again are really impressive, the controls sharp – having that second joystick really sets the VITA apart from any other hand held games machine (or phone or pad for that matter). The FIFA package comes with pretty much everything you’ll find on the Xbox 360 or PS3 version – it looks as good and plays as well. I can see some blokes losing a lot of their lives to this game, especially as it comes with online multiplayer including voice chat options.

"the future has arrived - New Uncharted is a launch game!"

Then it’s time for Uncharted: Golden Abyss – and if I had been impressed before, my jaw was well and truly dropped at the richest, most involving gameplay and absolutely stunning graphics that Naughty Dog have managed to pack into this portable adventure.

Uncharted hero Nathan Drake really is the new Indiana Jones – and being able to make him fight, shoot, leap, sneak and climb using the various control options highlights the versatility that the VITA brings to the party.

There’s always time for some augmented reality beat-em-up in the form of ‘Reality Fighters’ which takes the idea of imposing the user created fighters onto a real world backdrop such could be your lounge, the pub, your desk… It’s fun enough (especially in two player mode) – in a sort of Street Fighter crossed with Mortal Kombat style two characters enter, one character leaves…

"I mentioned the awesome Wipeout 2048 right?"

Escape Plan was up next – a gorgeous, minimal, Tim Burton-esq effort where you move your main character by sweeping your finger over the touch screen, trying to guide them to escape but often dying horribly along the way.

Racing now with MotorStorm RC, in which you drive a radio-controlled car – it’s an update of the time tested micro machine gameplay – which lets you race across the various MotorStorm tracks from the PS3 and PSP iterations. Whilst not as graphically impressive (this wasn’t final build) the game comes with both PS3 and VITA versions so those who have both machines can immediate fire up a game to challenge others in their household and demonstrate the cross play functionality. MotorStorm RC is all about shaving lap times in order to be known world wide as the fastest!?

Finally I play WipEout 2048, which is my ‘game of the afternoon’ and an absolute ‘must-buy’. Wipeour 2048 is by far the best of the series to date and that includes the PS2 and PS3 versions. The game has been refined, polished and improved – the hyper fast racing is still brutal and satisfying but the tracks packed in 2048 are fiendishly fun to race. I was lost in wonder staring at the lifelike skies above, the moving video adverts lining the tracks, the vertical climbs, the death defying drops… Wipeout 2048 runs smoothly with 8 players (they can be any mix of PS3 and VITA in the cross play mode that works a treat).

With big hitting franchises such as Bioshock, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty and Ridge Racer all confirmed – and the excellent level of PS3 / VITA interactivity looking like it will do pretty much everything Nintendo are planning with their Wii U – the future for Sony gaming couldn’t be much brighter! VITA will make anyone who thinks there Xbox Live enabled phone is cool hang their head in gaming shame…

When not gaming the VITA is looking to get stuck into the social networking scene too – it will flag up when friends beat one of your high scores or display what they are playing so you can challenge them. Trophies come as standard as does the 3DS alike ability to give gifts to people wirelessly.

£229.99 might seem a bit of an investment – but there really isn’t anything that compares to the gaming experience that the VITA delivers… I was delighted to have witnessed the future of gaming… Day one purchase for me!!

"wipeout - best version yet!"

"If the PSVITA was a girl..."

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One

2011-11-28T21:26:00.001Z

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PS3)

Developed by Insomniac Games

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One – is a new breed of sci-fi cartoon shooter which brings the joy of co-operative play to a whole new level, Created from the ground up to support up to 4 players at any point (either local or online) this is a revelation for those who like a bit of team working with their pals.

The Ratchet & Clank games are a by-word for quality platform / shooter experiences – blessed with excellent humour and stylish visuals, packing seriously deranged weaponry and tons of carnage to be wrought.

For fans of the series, All 4 One picks up after the events of A Crack in Time – in a strange alternative future where lombaxs run around and talk, a clueless comedy ‘hero’ named Captain Qwark has somehow become President of the universe and Clank (a cool calm mini robot) is on hand to generally save the day. All seems well in the galaxy but the evil Dr. Nefarious is up to his dastardly mischievous ways – starting by luring President Qwark to a trap under the premise of him being honoured as the biggest intergalactic tool…

"pick a hero!"

All 4 One's gameplay has been tweaked to accommodate potential all age players - making this an ideal choice for parents looking to play something with their kids that isn’t as violent as Call of Duty but still packs some great shooting fun! And hats off to Insomniac Games because they’ve delivered a co-op experience that rocks, in fact multiplayer is the best way to enjoy this winning blend of fast paced action and quality humour.

The controls are easy to pick up (the camera angle is locked which means that each player feels centre of the action) – the range of weaponry on offer is both extensive and very amusing. The level whiz along in a well designed fashioned, and everything just ‘works’ really well.

Basically Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One is a class act that deserves the consideration of any gamer looking for a quality co-op experience this Christmas!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö1/2

3.5 – Bring a pal or 3 and kick some evil ass!

Darkmatters Review: Take Shelter

2011-11-28T10:03:00.001Z

Take Shelter (15)

Dir. Jeff Nichols

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

How much do you care about your family?

What if you were wracked with apocalyptic nightmares that threatened their safety and might just herald the end of the world?

Welcome to the Take Shelter from writer-director Jeff Nichols. This is a freaky drama that blends a descent into madness with the everyday struggles of Curtis (Michael ‘soon to be fighting Superman as General Zod’ Shannon).

Curtis is married to the lovely Samantha (Jessica ‘Tree of Life’ Chastain), they have a deaf six-year-old daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart) and life seems very ‘normal’. In a timely relevant plot line, the family are having a hard time making ends meet and Curtis feels burdened in his dead end Ohio building job.

"letting off wind in an underground shelter requires precautions"

Things get worse when Curtis starts having vivid nightmares in which he's in danger – always heralded by an unnatural storm and backed up with some cool special effects. What’s a man to do? Well our hero takes to constructing a tornado shelter in his back yard, much to the consternation of his wife and the bemusements of his work colleagues.

The film builds up a creeping sense of dread and disorientation, it feels a lot like Donnie Darko and is a strong psychological thriller where the threat is always ambiguous due to the ‘is he going nuts, or is he actually picking up supernatural warning signals’ unanswered questions…

Take Shelter plays with your emotions and will keep you guessing right up to the unsettling ending. It all looks amazing too – stunning shots of the American flatlands mix with the weird and disturbing nightmares to form a unique fusion of fantasy and reality. There are some shots in this movie that will potentially burn themselves into your subconscious and leave you mulling the meaning over for some time to come.

"this doesn't look good..."

Shannon is great in the difficult lead role and he is ably backed up by the excellent performance of Chastain who is fast becoming the ‘go to girl’ for playing hot mothers. Young Stewart is also good in her supporting role and together they form one of the most convincing on screen families for some time.

Director Nicholls tackles a fascinating ‘what if’ subject matter and gives you a vital viewing experience that is likely to demand repeat watching to fathom the complexities of the plot.

Choice quote:

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö1/2

4.5 – Mental breakdowns have never been so interestingly depicted.

Awesomeness öööö – the nightmares are highlights
Laughs ö – not a funny tale
Horror ööö – sense of dread builds disturbingly
Babes ööö – Chastain is a MILF
Spiritual Enlightenment öööö – make of the ending what you will...

"a wife worth caring about!"

New MOVE Games

2011-11-26T12:31:00.001Z

Tis the Season to MOVE - New PS3 Move Games Rated by Matt Adcock:

If you like your video games a bit more active than just literally twiddling your thumbs then PlayStation Move motion controller is a great place to start. Combined with the PlayStation Eye Camera you become the star of the show, the hero at the centre of the battle or the sportsman with the skills to make the opposition stop and stare…

This Christmas there are some new MOVE experiences to go alongside the superb Killzone 3 and Resistance 3 Move enabled shooters. – but which are worthy of your cash?

Start the Party!: Save the World (PS3)

This is the follow up to one of the launch line up of Move games – Start The Party! – which brought a fun collection of augmented reality mini games to the erm, party…

Save The World adds a new set of 20 games loosely linked by a baddie (Dr Terrible) who you have to try and defeat. The main addition here is that you can multiplay with other players trying to put you off using a standard DualShock controller – a great way to spice up the game play!

The Playstation Move works beautifully – the games are easy to control and works especially well in games that require you to draw things on screen (something they really doesn’t work well with Kinnect etc). Start the Party: Save the World packs some great cartoon graphics too but here’s the problem… It’s just too short and there isn’t a great deal of incentive to replay the mini-games.

So if looking for a fun blast e.g. to play with a bunch of kids or excitable young people or tipsy adults, but this really isn’t a game you’ll find yourself playing single player long into the night.
Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öö1/2

2.5 – fun for short bursts but not for a long haul

EyePet &Friends (PS3)

Say hello again to my little (virtual) friend… And this time he’s brought some pals so you can nurture and play with a whole bunch of cute critters.

EyePet & Friends builds on the cute first game – the MOVE controls are great and more intuitive the range of things you can do with your cheeky little Eyepets is greater… And two people can play at the same time!?

It’s a satisfying feeling drawing a picture in front of the PlayStation Eye camera and then seeing the PS3 create the actual 3D model of your drawing on screen e.g. a car which you can then control.

So if you’re in need of a new pet (one which doesn’t shed hair or scratch your real world furniture) then this is a fun option – especially with kids who can torment / love their new little charges and in turn be kept amused for many hours.

EyePet & Friends does exactly what you’d expect it to – brings a virtual creature into your house and gives you the tools to have mucho fun with it!
Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö1/2

3.5 – get some virtual furballs in you life

Carnival Island (PS3)

Wanna set up a fully functional carnival in your house – but don’t fancy hosting a bunch of pikey non tax paying miscreant to run the rides for you and take all you cash? Well You’re in luck as God Of War developer Sony Santa Monica drops the bloodshed and brings the fun in this stylish mini-game-em-up – think Hoops, Ring-Toss and Coin Flip etc all of which use the PlayStation MOVE controller's excellent accuracy to test your skills.

Plus there are Bowls, Pitch, Shooting Gallery, Frog Bog (kind of whack-a-mole) – each game is nicely worked and looks great. The MOVE is a very nice control mechanism which gives much more satisfaction in terms of tracking movement than the Wii.

There are even additional tools like a fun Magic Mirror which will distort your look and allow you to snap some funny photos which can then form the loading screens...

It all plays really well – I wasn’t expecting much from this title but it is actually one of the most fun MOVE experiences you can have and just great for a party atmosphere where you can take turns to beat each other’s scores.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö1/2

4.5 – something fun this way comes!

Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest (PS3)

If you’re a MOVE veteran, the chances are that you will have played the excellent Sports Champions – one of the best elements of which was a sword and shield battle sim. Now the makers of Sports Champions are back and gone is the tight fitting spandex, in is armour and more weapons – which you’ll need to battle a horde of undead enemies!?

Deadmund’s Quest is a cartoon fantasy title about young Prince Edmund who becomes skeleton when he crosses evil sorcerer Morgrimm. So as a skeletal warrior you embark on some Medieval Moves – an action game that sees you acting out the combat moves required to vanquish many baddies and save the day.

It’s the excellent 1:1 motion movements of swinging your sword (you can attack high or low, stab or slash) that makes this such a fun game to play. You’ll need to bring your defense skills too though as blocking enemy attacks will keep you alive.

"the bigger they come..."

The game also gives you ranged weapons in the form of a trusty bow (which controls just like Sports Champions brilliant archery game) and throwing stars. As Deadmund you move along automatically, stopping to do battle with waves of enemies in order to free their spirits. Enemies ramp up from basic skeletons through to armoured knights, magic users and other beasties.

Health is replenished by enacting drinking of a bottle of milk, which is a fun touch. The single player campaign is a short blast but there is real mileage in playing this in multiplayer with a tasty battle mode (also playable online) where you can fight other humans, and an Invasion mode where you fight as long as possible until you fall.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö1/2

4.5 – hack n slash for real in a cartoon fantasy world and feel every blow

"She wants you to MOVE"

Conclusion:

Medieval Moves is the pick of the new MOVE games out there due to the sheer excitement factor but Carnival Island is also very worthy of your time… Get both for Christmas and work off some of the festive food!?